We were lucky to catch up with children’s book author Alise Curran recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alise, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. Do you think folks should manage their own social media or hire a professional? What do you do?

I manage my own social media. I made the choice because my books are very personal to me, and I want to be in control of how my books and I are represented. I am a bit of a control freak across the board so this is no exception. Having someone else run my social media would seem inauthentic since my account shares my family, a bit of my travel, my recommendations, and my personal experiences with my publishing journey in real time. This is a way for me to connect to other people in this industry and build community. I am thrilled with the results of my social media because my goal was to make connections and share my experiences and that is exactly what has happened. My advice to other business owners who are thinking about their social media would be to determine a purpose behind having a social media first, have consistent branding (colors/style), and make connections with others in your industry. These connections are key to learning and growing in your niche.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I have been an early childhood educator for over a decade with a focus in Special Education. My years of teaching gave me an opportunity to appreciate the children’s book landscape and cultivate a passion for children’s literature. Once I had my children, it became more important to me for me to follow this passion to write and create children’s books. During the height of COVID, learning more about the process of turning an idea into a book became an outlet for me creatively. It gave me a purpose beyond taking care of my home and my kids and allowed me to connect with others in the industry and learn from them. I’ve embraced the concept of having a growth mindset throughout my publishing journey and am continuously amazed at how much there is to learn. It has been an awesome and empowering experience and something I am proud to show my kids.

My first book, Nana will Say Yes, was published in the fall of 2022 and my next book, a companion piece to my first, called Grandpa Will Say Yes, is being released in June 2023. Both books explore the permissive relationships that grandparents often have with their grandchildren. They’re relatable rhyming books with bright illustrations and make the perfect gift for children and grandparents. Both books are personal to me as they’re representations of my parents’ relationships with my children.

I am super proud of how the books turned out but even more excited about my experience as a new author and how much I have learned and grown throughout the process. I’ve made connections with amazing authors and illustrators across the country who I am continually inspired by. I’ve taught myself entirely new skill sets (writing, concept development, creative direction, branding, illustrator collaboration, website creation and maintenance, social media marketing, sales, etc.) and have been able to share what I’ve learned with others through an Author Interview Series I launched on YouTube. Throughout these interviews, I ask authors to share their advice with new or established authors and I’ve had awesome feedback about how much these conversations have helped people in their own writing and publishing..

I am thrilled that I took the first steps towards fulfilling a dream and in awe where it has led me so far. I’m looking forward to connecting with more people in the industry and continuing to create awesome children’s books that kids can relate to, and adults don’t mind reading “again!”.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

When I was just starting out with my writing, I would write my future books in the notes section on my phone, and they would sit there for months on end. No one ever saw the work I was creating and ultimately, I wish I had started sharing my work earlier for feedback and critiques since I think it is so helpful as a writer to hear what people with a fresh perspective think of your work. I wish I had found my network of other writers sooner and I highly recommend that people who are just starting out join a community of others with the same interests and goals. For me, finding SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) was HUGE in my development as a writer. I was able to access resources, attend workshops, and find a critique group through that community. It changed the whole experience for me and the way I view writing. Where it used to be something that would sit on my phone, now it is work that I may potentially share with the world. A few other resources that are key to my growth as an author are Fiverr (I connected with my illustrator and book formatter through this app), and the Instagram writing community. I wish that I knew earlier on that I could access such a wealth of knowledge on an app and that there are so many kind and knowledgeable people out there who are willing to help new authors. I highly recommend tapping into social media to connect with others and use it as a resource for learning along the way.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being an author is setting a goal and accomplishing it. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE when people tell me that they enjoy my book and that their kids love it and ask them to read it over and over. I also enjoy the creative outlet it provides. Another giant perk is that I am able to give back to the community through this experience and support other authors. I’ve created a system where people donate their books to my Little Free Library in exchange for my honest review of their book. I enjoy reading new books, writing the reviews, and mostly having more books that I can add to my library to share with my local community to promote literacy. However, knowing that I was confident enough to jump into this industry and was willing to make mistakes along the way to publishing my first book is ultimately the most rewarding part for me. I’m hoping this will be an example for my children as they grow up and that they will feel confident they have what it takes to pursue what they are passionate about.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.alisecurran.com
• Instagram: @alisecurranwrites
• Twitter: @alisecwrites
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@alisecurran7587/videos
• Other: Blog: www.alisecurran.com/blog

Image Credits
Image credit to Laken Masterson for the two images (one standing next to the sign & one where I’m signing the book). Others not applicable.